Housekeeping Is Still Mainly Women

Hotel housekeeping seems to be immune from political correctness. We no longer say fireman. It’s firefighter. Waitress is now a server, to accommodate both male and female. We must not say the woman who cleans your hotel room is a maid. She is a room attendant.

But, room attendants work under the banner of housekeeping departments and nobody has a problem with that. Housekeeping is an indoor activity, so it’s a women’s thing. Don’t kill me. Please don’t shoot the messenger.

Gardening is an outdoor activity, therefore male, so is driving the family car. Women don’t mind it that much because it’s the only time they get to sit down. Just think about other indoor and outdoor family activities, and label them, male or female.

Housekeeping has not changed to a more politically correct term. It is still housekeeping at home and hotels because society expects women to be in the kitchen and home in general, making sure that beds are made, kids fed, food cooked, clothes washed and ironed and enough toilet paper in the washroom. I’m not trying to needle you. That is the state of affairs and no digital revolution is going to change that.

Same situation in hotels. They are home away from home, so somebody has to change the sheets and vacuum economy rooms and presidential suites. Whatever happens, housekeeping staff should think of some politically correct terms for their department, because what they do is the product. Guests buy a bed and toilet for the night, and that’s housekeeping.

How about calling housekeeping Critical Services?

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.